1. Field of Invention
The present invention is generally related to an improved athletic helmet. More particularly, the present invention provides an improved athletic helmet made of lighter and stronger materials, a liner with improved energy dissipation, a lighter face mask for improved helmet balance, and an improved attachment method for a face mask.
2. Background
The use of helmets in a variety of different sports, such as football or hockey, for example, is well known. The purpose of the helmet is to protect a wearer's head from injury during participation in a sporting event, such as when a force is directed toward the head.
The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) establishes performance standards and tests for protective athletic equipment such as helmets. Athletic helmets typically have a hard outer shell that covers an inner layer of energy absorbing material for placing in contact with the head of a wearer or user. The hard outer shell of most sport helmets typically comprises a molded plastic material, such as polycarbonate or ABS plastic. The inner layer is intended to cooperate with the outer shell to minimize the amount of energy transmitted to a user's head, such as when the helmet is hit or impacted. The NOCSAE tests performed on the helmet determine if the outer shell and inner liner are sufficient for protecting a user's head.
Some helmets use one-piece inflatable liners to provide some degree of impact protection or elasticity. Inflatable liners, however, may provide an imprecise fit on the wearer's head and may be subject to pressure variation as temperature changes. Also, inflatable liners may rebound energy with the head (rather than absorb it).
The face masks of a helmet are mostly made of hard and heavy materials such as titanium, stainless steel or carbon steel. These materials may provide adequate protection during impact; however, they tend to add weight to the helmet. Generally, a helmet requires a user to use his own strength for balance due to the weight of the helmet. The additional weight of the face mask to the helmet causes the center of gravity of the helmet to be towards the front of the helmet, and may result in a “heads down” posture causing misalignment of the head and cervical spine.
Despite the ability of existing athletic helmets to protect a user's head from impact or injury, design improvements can be made to the helmet to provide the lightest helmet possible.